I Became the Maid of the Lout Prince

"So, you’re planning to return to the academy next year?"

"Yes, Miss Agnes. Honestly, I'd love to go back even a semester earlier, but in this condition, attending classes or even moving around would be difficult."

"...I’m more baffled that you were even thinking about having a child during the semester."

"Well... I wasn’t exactly planning on going back to the academy at that time."

I’d intended to live a life far removed from Blackwood and the characters of Luminor Academy, but coming back here, I realized I felt more at ease than when I was alone. Not that I disliked the time I spent in Ermia with Mirif and the other priests, but looking back, it had been a worthwhile experience.

"I thought you and I would be graduating together this year, Lilith."

"I’ll attend the graduation ceremony. I’ll have had the baby by then...."

"Don’t feel pressured to come."

"I’ll need to go to Knowledge Island for re-enrollment anyway. Think of it as just starting a week earlier."

"...Well, do as you like."

Last semester, Agnes had been top of the magic department, with me in second place. If everything had gone smoothly, we probably would’ve stood side by side as the department’s representatives at graduation. It felt like a missed opportunity—not only because of the chance to be with the academy’s main heroine but also because I wouldn’t be able to share that final memory with my closest friend.

Though it wasn’t like we’d never see each other again after graduation, with Agnes’ upcoming journey to vanquish the Demon Lord, it might be years before we’d even chance upon each other.